Freudian Wedding
by LiveLoveLikeMe
Summary: Rizzles. "The most intimate of conversations only felt right when executed in an intimate manner." My take on what should have happened after the screen went dark on 3.08 and now even further on down the road.
1. Rub Some Dirt On It

Disclaimer: I don't own Rizzoli and Isles. The characters belong to the amazing Tess Gerritsen and Janet Tamaro's 16-hour work days. I'm just borrowing them, because something needs to be added here.

A/N: That other story I have? Yeah, yeah, I'll get to it. This is just so much more interesting right now! Basically, as much as I adored all the Rizzles in 3.08, the ending still bothered me. Obviously, the sexual tension needed to be addressed, but I also think Jane should not have been quite so fine... so here's my take on what should have happened after the screen went black.

Side note: Any of you that I met at RizzlesCon this past weekend, it was great to meet you! I had so much fun. To those of you who couldn't make it, here's to hoping you get another chance to attend another amazing event like it.

* * *

"Us?" Maura asked quietly.

She was sprawled out on Jane's mattress only a matter of inches away from the other woman, processing the brunette's image of her dream wedding. Maura had to admit, despite how strange it would have sounded a few years back, the entire scene was entirely Jane. She could almost picture Jane standing above the plate in her Red Sox jersey, smiling widely as she was surrounded by her closest friends and family, leaning across the white base to kiss her bride.

Wait, bride?

But that was the image that had immediately popped into Maura's mind as Jane had continued to describe the wedding only a moment ago, constantly using "we" and "us" as she divulged something Maura was almost sure she'd never been willing to admit before. Maura immediately placed herself into the position of the other person, and suddenly the plate was covered slightly by her own twenty foot train. She inwardly cursed herself for imagining something so unlikely, but the pronouns Jane was choosing had caused her heartbeat to accelerate slightly. She couldn't help wondering what the other woman may have meant by it.

"Hmm?" Jane asked, clearly beginning to drift off from the comfort of her new mattress.

"You said people would throw peanuts at 'us'," Maura elaborated nervously. At this, Jane jerked upright, trying but failing not to appear startled by Maura's words. Maura had to wonder if it had been a Freudian slip or if Jane had just misspoken.

Jane's gaze shifted to the side, drawing Maura's unwavering attention all the more. She shrugged and said, "Yeah, I meant me and… the person I marry."

Maura nodded, trying to show that she understood, before settling back against the mattress. Though the room was growing darker as the night drew near, Maura could tell Jane was now wide awake beside her, and felt a little guilty for having disturbed her possible rest. Unfortunately for Jane's tired brain, Maura wasn't completely satisfied with that answer; she wanted to press her luck a bit further, now feeling loosened enough by the several glasses of wine she'd consumed. Not wanting to waste any of the expensive liquid, Maura had begrudgingly drunk Jane's after the brunette declared a disliking for it. Nothing compared to Jane's beer.

The dark blonde sat in silence for a moment, carefully treading through her thoughts to find the most fitting one to say to Jane. Over the past few months, Maura had noticed that her attraction to Jane had been teetering towards one much greater than that of typical friends. Just the thought of their wedding alone had left her head spinning with hope, and Maura didn't know that she could go much longer without knowing. She was used to saying what her mind told her was the truth, and keeping a feeling like this from Jane was beginning to wear down on her quite considerably.

"Do you think you'll marry Casey?" Maura asked, breaking the silence.

She heard a heavy sigh escape Jane, but she did not remove her gaze from the ceiling. Maura wasn't entirely sure she wanted to hear a response to her question, but it had been the most logical one to come to mind.

"Honestly?" Jane almost whispered, but because of their close positions, Maura heard it just fine.

"Honestly."

"Well," Jane paused, hesitation picking up in her voice, "probably not."

"Really?" Maura asked in surprise, finally turning her gaze to look at Jane. She was surprised to find the other woman already looking her way with an almost fiery intensity. Maura gulped involuntarily.

Jane simply nodded, putting out a tentative hand to enclose around Maura's. The dark blonde felt her heart flutter at the sudden contact, but did not pull back or flinch—she smiled and felt herself subconsciously inch a little closer.

"Why not?" Maura probed.

"Because I don't think I love _him,_" Jane answered quietly. Maura immediately noticed how she stressed the word "him," and she had to wonder if that meant she loved someone else. The smaller woman had to strain her mind to think of other possible suitors, but when none came to mind, she couldn't quite tame that sliver of hope in her chest that Jane had actually meant her.

On one hand, Maura really wanted to press further to find out if Jane really did mean her. On the other hand, she knew that Jane didn't like to be pushed for information all the time, even when it came from her. Despite whatever logic Maura came up with, she knew she'd end up probing further. It was in her nature to inquire about things—especially subjects that interested her so deeply, like who got the privilege of having Jane Rizzoli's heart.

"You don't love _him?_ So there's someone else you were thinking of?" Maura asked, a little more blatantly than she had originally intended.

"I guess when I picture that wedding, as crazy as it seems, Casey isn't the one I see standing across from me," Jane explained, but it wasn't enough to quench Maura's desire to know exactly who she had meant.

"Who is?" Maura dared to ask.

Jane was silent beside her, and Maura quietly observed the reaction on her friend's face. Every so often, as they stayed there in silent anticipation of Jane's answer, Maura noticed the brunette would start to roll closer before she would seem to catch herself and stop. It was a puzzling pattern that Jane had adapted in stressful situations, and the dark blonde never quite knew what to do to help ease her. Instead, she just continued to watch, hoping one day Jane wouldn't stop herself.

The look on Jane's face told Maura she probably shouldn't have probed for an answer; that her curiosity should not have gotten the better of her this time. She remained stoic, just a short distance away, and Maura was afraid to even reach out and touch the woman's olive skin, for fear she might crumble on the spot.

"It's not important," Jane answered with an almost monotonous tone.

Maura sighed, tightening her grip around the detective's hand. "Jane, you are important to me, so of course it is."

Jane's eyes flickered over to meet Maura's, but her face was still resolved to be hardened. Unable to stop herself, Maura reached out with her free hand and grazed her fingers across Jane's cheek, as if testing to see if she had suddenly turned to stone.

Maura could feel Jane's eyes piercing through her own, as if searching for some kind of signal or comfort. The dark blonde allowed her thumb to trace gentle circles on Jane's cheek, hoping that the intimacy of the action wouldn't be too much for Jane.

When she had asked the question, Maura had not expected the atmosphere to turn so serious. It was something about the way that Jane was looking at her that made it all seem so much heavier than she had intended. Maura knew she could give Jane an out, and hopefully they could return to joking about Jane's ideal wedding apparel. Yes, the doctor figured that would be a safe idea, yet she couldn't seem to get the words out. Her brain and, while she didn't want to admit it for it would go against all scientific reasoning, her heart needed to hear Jane's answer.

"You'll think it's stupid," Jane mumbled, breaking the gaze.

Maura chuckled lightly. "Of all the things you do that I could find 'stupid,' I highly doubt this would count."

"Gee, thanks," Jane deadpanned.

Jane sighed and lifted her free hand to cover the one Maura was still grazing against her cheek. She let out a deep breath, both women inching closer as the minutes of silence ticked by. Maura smiled at the feeling of Jane's hot breath on her face, finally realizing just how close they had gotten.

"If I tell you," Jane whispered, not needing to speak any louder due to the lack of space between them, "will you promise not to run away?"

"Of course, Jane," Maura answered patiently. Her heartbeat was accelerating, and for the second time that night, Maura wondered if maybe that was why people attributed the muscle to feeling things like love.

Their faces were so close, Maura just needed to hear the one name she'd dreamt of Jane whispering to close the distance. Jane looked her square in the eye, and Maura felt as though she was safe to let her guard down. Her assumptions about Jane's wording seemed more possible by the minute.

"Giovanni," Jane whispered. Maura, stunned for her part, leapt away as if she'd just been scalded by a hot ember. As promised, she didn't leave, but the distance was noticeably greater and she was seated upright on the mattress.

"Oh," Maura said quietly.

"You know, so instead of, 'I do,' he can just say, 'You look hot'," Jane laughed.

She could feel her amygdala and lacrimal glands reacting in a way she couldn't quite control, and Maura inwardly cursed her biological reactions. She tried to hold in the tears, but her heart had been racing so quickly that she was finding it difficult to calm down. Of all the times Jane chose to joke, this had to have been one of the worst.

"Wha- Maura? Are you crying?" Jane asked in surprise.

Maura tried to deny it, but ended up just nodding, too afraid of what would happen if she opened her mouth. She had not been expecting Jane to say someone else's name—especially Giovanni's! The dark blonde had been waiting for a real answer from Jane; it had seemed like things between them could finally take the next step. _I suppose it was silly of me to assume Jane felt the same way,_ Maura thought sadly.

"I'm sorry, Jane," Maura squeaked out, trying very hard to find her words. Jane immediately sat up and pulled Maura into a hug, but instead of having a calming effect, the hug just caused Maura to freeze. She didn't want to feel the things Jane typically elicited in her—not when she knew the feelings weren't being returned.

"Maura, it's okay," Jane said, apparently not noticing how stiff Maura had gotten. She didn't know what she'd done to cause her best friend to burst into tears, but Jane seemed determined as hell to right it as soon as possible.

"No, it's not okay," Maura said seriously, finally shrugging out of Jane's arms. She reached up to wipe away her tears, but it was useless. More just fell in their places.

"Did I do something?" Jane asked, confused from the sudden turn of events.

"It's what you didn't do," Maura practically sobbed, having completely given up on trying to control her body's natural reaction to the situation.

"Maur-"

"No, Jane, just let me finish!" Maura practically yelled. Jane was stunned to silence and sat watching her with concerned eyes. "You know I never guess, but… I actually thought you were going to say that I was the other person in your fantasy wedding. I thought that, for once, you would tell me how you really feel instead of backing out. But, maybe it wasn't intentional. Maybe you really don't return my feelings and I've just been imagining it. I have to imagine that you know by now how I feel about you—everyone else knows. So I suppose I don't understand why…" Maura trailed off.

Jane was staring at her with wide eyes, but her silence caused Maura to just shake her head and stand up. She hadn't expected to have such an undignified outburst, but Jane had to know just what she was doing to her. With every little touch or look that lasted too long, with every bit of innuendo that entered their conversations, and with every time they had saved each other's lives, Maura had been falling further in love with Jane. Maura had thought that Jane surely felt the same way, but now she was beginning to wonder if she should just leave and give up—it was becoming clear that, even if Jane did have any feelings for her, she would never be ready to acknowledge them.

"Maura, where are you going?" Jane asked, finally breaking her silence when Maura began to head towards the door.

"I really don't feel like staying here right now," Maura said quietly. She had reached the door and was now trying to find the strength to turn the knob.

"Wait," Jane called out, standing up and rushing briskly to Maura's side.

"Jane, please," Maura begged. She didn't think she could handle any more rejection for one night.

Jane's hands found Maura's shoulders and she held her firmly in place, making sure their eyes locked. Maura wasn't sure where this was going, but her curiosity got her to hold on for a moment, just to see what Jane was planning to say, at least.

"I did mean you, Maura, and I'm sorry if I made you upset thinking otherwise. I guess I just… panicked. The whole 'us' just slipped out, and I didn't even realize it until you pointed it out. And then you were just so close, and you wanted an answer. Basically, I'm a total ass. I made a joke at the worst possible moment, and I suppose that's just how I deal with stuff, but you deserve better than that from me," Jane rambled.

Maura looked Jane in the eyes to gauge her sincerity, and was pleased to see that she actually meant her words. Without waiting for another word to be exchanged between them that could ruin things, Maura closed the distance and crushed her lips against Jane's.

Had they not been standing so intimately close, the sudden leap probably would have been somewhat awkward. In fact, Maura was surprised by the ease of the kiss shared between them. It just accounted for how close they truly were, even just as friends. Without breaking contact, Maura pushed them back slowly towards the mattress; she collapsed atop Jane once they reached the large white base. Now lying on Jane, Maura pulled back for a breath. She was pleased to be greeted with such a big smile.

Maura rolled off Jane slightly, but still remained against her side. She let her arm drape across Jane's toned stomach through the white tank top and sighed with content.

"Thank you," Jane said, slightly out of breath.

"For what?" Maura raised an eyebrow, puzzled at the randomness of Jane's words.

"For not letting me be an ass to you." Both women burst out laughing, neither wanting to ruin the happy moment with words.

Eventually, though, Jane spoke up. It had grown completely dark outside, and the only light still allowing them to see each other was the dim lamp on Jane's coffee table.

"Will you stay the night?" Jane finally asked, and Maura's eyes grew like saucers at the implication she immediately thought of. Jane chuckled. "Just to sleep, Ms. I-Act-All-Refined-But-I-Actually-Have-A-Very-Dirty-Mind."

"I do not have a dirty mind," Maura chastised, but even she knew that wasn't exactly the truth.

"That was a lie. I hope you get hives now," Jane said with feigned arrogance. This elicited another giggle from the dark blonde, which Jane was only too happy to hear. "Really, though. Will you?" Jane asked, her voice toning down to a more serious one.

"Hmm, let me think." Maura's face took an inquisitive expression as she leaned in to place a kiss on Jane's lips, which was quickly received and reciprocated. She pulled back with a glowing smile. "I will."

"Perfect!" Jane exclaimed. "I have practically an entire drawer of your clothes here, so you can change into something more comfortable if you want."

Maura smiled and stood up. "Okay, I'll go change and get cleaned up. If I remember right, I have a toothbrush here as well." _Since when did I practically move here? _Maura wondered.

Jane was already changed for the night, so Maura planned on being quick. She opened the drawer in Jane's room that held her belongings, but nothing in it seemed quite right for the occasion. With a smirk, the dark blonde pulled open the drawer above it and indulged herself in something that looked much more comfortable.

As Maura stepped back out to Jane's living room in a pair of the detective's sweatpants and a Red Sox t-shirt, she was sure she'd never seen Jane look at her with such lust before.

"Okay, change of plans. You are definitely the one who will be wearing the Red Sox jersey at our wedding," Jane deadpanned.

"Oh, really? Does that mean you'll be in a brilliant white dress with a twenty foot train?" Maura joked. Jane scowled at her in response.

"How about we both wear jerseys?"

Maura just had to laugh at the suggestion. She made a mental note that, if they ever did get married, she would have to handle the wardrobe portion. "We'll see," Maura said. "For now, how about you just enjoy the sight of me in this while we sleep."

"Sounds like a plan," Jane sighed, opening her arm for Maura to snuggle next to her. While the dark blonde was changing, Jane had arranged some pillows and a light blanked for them to sleep under. Once Maura was settled in, Jane reached over to shut off the light; they were instantly consumed with darkness.

A few minutes went by, and Maura's mind was buzzing with a question she needed to ask Jane before she'd ever be able to fall asleep. "Jane?" she asked, hoping the other woman was still awake.

"Hmm?" Jane asked, her voice telling Maura she was probably just as alert.

"You make jokes to deal with things quite often, don't you?" She was facing Jane, but in the darkness it was still too hard to gauge any sort of expression from her partner's face.

"I suppose so," Jane answered wearily. "Why?"

Maura hesitated to answer, not really wanting to bring down the mood. It was too late, though, for she had already brought the subject up. "You know you don't have to do that in front of me, right?" Maura asked. "It's just, you've been through so much, even today, and I don't want you to feel afraid to react in front of me. I'd never judge you for breaking down, Jane."

The silence rang out between them for a moment, and Maura momentarily wondered if she'd overstepped with her words. She knew Jane was very sensitive when it came to her reactions, but she wanted to drill in the utmost sense of comfort between them, and this was the best way she could think of. Finally, Jane decided to speak again.

"I know, Maura. But you shouldn't have to see me like that. So weak, I mean." Jane confessed.

Maura reached down and grabbed Jane's hand, her thumb purposefully tracing over one of the scars. "Jane Rizzoli, you are the bravest person I know. Being affected by something traumatic will never make me see you as weak," Maura assured her through the darkness.

The silence returned, once again, and Maura took the time to wallow in the scent of Jane. She felt as if she could finally find sleep, now that what she wanted to say was off her chest. She'd work on Jane, but for the night it felt like she'd done enough to instill total trust in Jane.

"Am I just like him?" Jane asked, breaking the silence with a shaky voice. The smallest amount of moonlight reflected off Jane's face, and Maura was able to see the silent tears that had fallen from their reflections.

"Like who?" Maura asked in confusion.

"Hoyt," Jane whispered after slight hesitation.

"Jane, of course not!" Maura exclaimed, completely thrown off by Jane's train of thought.

"I don't know, Maura. I mean, is it really much of a stretch? He kills people, and I kill people. I killed a man today, and I just—" Jane's voice broke off as a sob wracked through her.

"Shh," Maura whispered as she moved closer. The doctor kissed away Jane's tears, one by one, ignoring the salty taste on her lips. She kissed a trail along Jane's jaw, ending right by her ear. The most intimate of conversations only felt right when executed in an intimate manner. "Remember when you told me that just because Paddy Doyle is my father, it doesn't mean that I'm destined to be just like him?" Maura asked. Jane nodded weakly in response.

"Well, just because you seem to have some sort of strong connection to Hoyt, doesn't mean you are like him at all. Jane, he killed people for pleasure, you don't. Yes, today a man died, but if you hadn't shot him, someone else would have wound up dead in his place. Your actions were for the greater good, not for personal pleasure. You are not Charles Hoyt. He was a coward. You are brave."

Maura had never seen Jane cling to her so hard, but as the lanky arms tightened around her torso, she simply held the sobbing Jane tightly and let her get it all out, all the while whispering words of reassurance in her ear.

"It's just too much, sometimes. The guys will look down on me if I break; I have to be stronger than them. But after all that's happened to me—to us—I just don't know what else I can take," Jane confessed.

"You never have to be strong for me, Jane. You can't keep everything bottled in like this. You can always talk to me, but I know that may not be the most comfortable option for you. Would you at least talk to someone, though? For me?" Maura asked, her concern the most apparent thing in her voice.

"I'd rather just talk to you," Jane mumbled into her chest.

Maura smiled brightly, snuggling impossibly closer to Jane as she allowed the other woman to calm down. She didn't know how long had passed, but Maura was just about asleep when Jane broke the silence for the last time that night.

"I love you, Maura."

"I love you too, Jane." Maura smiled, content to finally drift off. She was confident that Jane's Freudian slip earlier on had been just what both of them needed. Maura finally got the love she'd been dying to have Jane acknowledge, and Jane had finally shown that she actually was affected by what she did, in turn getting out the pain she needed to.

* * *

**This was fully intended to be a one-shot, but I really enjoyed writing it. I'm not entirely sure where it would go, but would anyone be interested in my continuing this?**


	2. Ladybug Luck

Disclaimer: I don't own these amazing characters. They respectfully belong to Tess Gerritsen and Janet Tamaro- Two wonderful ladies in their own rights. And TNT. However, if bidding should occur, put me down for the Rack of God. I wouldn't mind owning that, and the woman attached to it.

Author's Note: Okay, it seemed of popular opinion that I should continue this. It took me a while to decide where exactly I should go with it. I considered the dark route, and the murderer that's been in my mind for a while would love to come out and play, but I think I'll save that for another story. I'm not saying there won't be any dark moments, but I hope to keep this a bit lighter and possibly even funny at times. Let me know your thoughts, though, because is isn't too late to change that!

* * *

The light was too bright. That was the first thing Maura noticed the next morning that seemed particularly off-putting. Did she fall asleep with the light on again? The second peculiar thing that Maura noticed was the warmth pressed against her body. She typically got quite chilly in the night, but she had no recollection of waking up and putting on an extra blanket. Still, despite the strange things Maura noticed, she felt inexplicably comfortable right where she was.

The dark blonde inhaled and was met with the distinct scent of lavender and vanilla that could only belong to one person—Jane Rizzoli. She smiled at the memory of the night before, her lips still tingling from their meeting with Jane's. Maura recalled how Jane had asked her to spend the night; what an emotional night it had been. That explained the unusual warmth. Like the scent, it was something that could only come from Jane.

Delicate eyes fluttered open, and she came face to face with what appeared to be a mountain of soft black curls smothered into a pillow. In the near distance, she spotted the open curtains—the source of the unwelcomed light. For a quick moment, Maura prided herself on the quick detective work. Jane would've been very proud of her, if she'd been awake. Instead, the aforementioned detective was softly snoring into her pillow, somehow sprawled face-down.

Despite the humorous position of Jane's head—which caused Maura to hold back a particularly strong case of the giggles—the lanky woman had still managed to entangle herself with the dark blonde during the night. Their legs were twisted together under the thin blanket, leaving Maura barely able to discern which two belonged to her. While one arm remained above Jane's head in what would not be a very comfortable position when she finally did wake up, the arm closest to Maura was still loosely wrapped around her torso, holding her in place.

Maura felt so much bliss from just their close contact that she was ready and willing to just lie there all day, watching Jane sleep. Without the proper view of any sort of clock, Maura wasn't sure how long she spent doing just that. She already knew every inch of Jane's outer features, so she spent her time testing her memory on each individual line that creased the brunette's face in her sleep. In fact, Maura didn't break away her stare until a sudden, unavoidable realization occurred to her.

As quietly as she could, Maura tried to wiggle out of Jane's trap without awakening the sleeping woman, but it soon became apparent that it was a lost cause. She'd have more success with twisting her body like a contortionist. Looking at the peace on the portion of Jane's face that was still visible atop the pillow certainly wasn't making things any easier.

"Jane," Maura whispered, gently shaking the detective's shoulder. She waited with baited breath, but nothing happened. Jane remained in the same position, her light snore continuing without a hitch.

"Jane," Maura tried a bit louder. This time, all sound ceased, but Jane still didn't seem to stir.

She didn't want to continue to disrupt the sleep that Jane had finally fallen into after a night of tears, but it seemed to be her only option. Maura was getting a bit desperate. "Jane, your mother stopped by, got in with her key, and made you bunny pancakes," Maura tried. This elicited a grunt, but nothing more sufficient.

She thought for a moment, trying to come up with something else that could potentially break through to Jane's attention. "I bought you a nice pink dress with a big bow to wear to dinner next week." Still nothing. Even Maura knew that sounded like fashion suicide, and seeing as Jane had some kind of aversion to dresses, she was almost sure that would do it. There was only one more piece of ammunition Maura had in her—time to bring out the big guns.

"Jane, all the guys at the station found out that your middle name is—"

"Don't say it," growled the much muffled voice of Jane Rizzoli.

"Good morning to you, too." Maura laughed. "I'm sorry, but I was running out of ways to get you awake."

"T's okay," Jane mumbled turning to face Maura as a large yawn escaped her. She blinked a few times as her pupils adjusted to the light accordingly. After a moment, her eyes seemed to settle on Maura, eliciting a beaming smile. "Morning." Jane leaned in, capturing Maura's lips in a very welcoming kiss. Unfortunately, Maura had other plans to attend to, so she leaned back, clearing her throat.

"Uh, actually, Jane, I woke you up because we seem to be tangled quite a bit and I…" Maura's voice drifted off as her eyes glanced down to their entwined legs.

"You what?" Jane pressed.

"I really need to pee," Maura admitted with a slight blush.

Jane chuckled, quickly moving to detach herself from around the beautiful woman. "Jeeze, Maur, next time just push me off if you can't get me up. Chances are, I'll sleep through that too."

Maura felt cold at the sudden loss of contact as she hopped up from the mattress. The brunette behind her seemed to be finding the entire situation quite amusing, so she shot her a pointed look before proceeding down the short hall. "I'll keep that in mind," she called back.

"This is what you get for drinking all that wine," Jane sniggered, knowing Maura heard her despite the fact that she was out of sight.

While Maura was taking care of things, Jane groaned and stood up to hit the kitchen. The clock on her stove read 10:13 am, and she was surprised Maura's inner clock hadn't gotten them up sooner. "Need coffee," Jane grumbled to herself, running a hand back through her tangled curls and sniffling.

"If you insist on using instant, please at least use the hazelnut blend I bought you last week," Maura chastised as she walked into the kitchen, already commanding the atmosphere.

Jane turned to glare at her but didn't give it much effort. She already knew Maura would win this one; it only took one look from the dark blonde to render Jane completely submissive. Besides, she'd already decided Maura's coffee did taste better, even if she'd never admit it. "Fine."

Maura moseyed over to the refrigerator and began sifting through the few contents to see if anything could be salvaged for breakfast. Perhaps the fact that Jane all-but-lived at her place could account for the lack of food, but Maura was too shocked by the revelation to say anything. They really did spend a great deal of time together.

"Here, you can have a seat," Jane said as she came up behind Maura and shut the refrigerator. "I'll make breakfast."

"With what?" Maura laughed lightly, turning in her spot to face Jane. She gasped when she came only inches away from Jane's lips. The close proximity of their bodies didn't seem as obvious until they were facing each other, and Jane adjusted nervously by clearing her throat and taking a step backwards.

"I'll make pancakes. Believe it or not, Jane Rizzoli has learned a few tricks in the kitchen." She smirked.

Maura smiled dazzlingly at her and said, "I hope your tricks expand beyond the kitchen."

Jane, who had been taking a sip of the coffee she'd just finished making, choked quite humorously at the startling suggestion in Maura's words. She was having a bit of trouble processing that Maura had said that to her. No, actually, Jane was never surprised by the words that came out of Maura's mouth. It was more the infliction used to say that she really meant them _that way_ that had caused Jane's sudden shock. Maura immediately frowned at Jane, reaching a hand out in concern.

"Are you all right, Jane?" she asked, all suggestion suddenly evaporated from her tone.

"Yes, I.. uh…" Jane shook her head, still trying to get used to the sudden change in whatever they were. "Coffee, hot," she managed to partially lie.

"I see." Maura grinned, seemingly satisfied with the answer. She sauntered back over to the counter, intent on allowing Jane to prove herself in the kitchen if she deemed it necessary. Though she wouldn't tell Jane, because she'd already learned in the past that the brunette didn't like to be informed of the psychological reasoning behind the things she did, Maura noted that Jane was most likely feeling the need to prove some sort of femininity after what had happened between them. It was only natural for her to try and compensate a completely new experience with more effort in at least one area of her life.

"You know, Jane, pancakes really aren't the ideal healthy breakfast." Maura cringed as she watched the brunette mix the heavy ingredients together in a big bowl.

Jane turned on the spot to glare at her good-naturedly. "Maura, it's not going to kill you to eat like a Rizzoli for one morning. Besides," she said, popping a chocolate chip in her mouth before adding a decent quantity to the batter, "It's either pancakes, or some leftover sushi. Personally, I wouldn't take my chances on the old raw fish, but it's your call."

"Carry on," Maura said quickly, not too enticed by the idea of potential food poisoning.

While Jane continued making their Rizzoli-styled breakfast, Maura busied herself by looking around. Seeing as she'd been in Jane's apartment countless times, there wasn't much to catch her eye. A few feet away, on the island bar, sat Jane's cell phone. Unable to resist, Maura picked up the electronic device, set on exploring Jane's app supply.

The dark blonde clicked the top button, illuminating a picture of the two of them as the background for Jane's lock screen. Maura grinned brightly, especially since the picture was of herself wrapped in one of Jane's arms while the other stretched out to take the picture on some night out at the Dirty Robber. Maura loved the picture so much that she immediately decided Jane wouldn't mind her sending it to her own phone. Sliding the "Unlock" button across the screen, Maura easily navigated Jane's "Messages" icon. Her soft fingers opened the app, accidentally entering into a text conversation Jane had apparently been in the day before.

"_Jane, can we meet 4 dinner tomorrow 6? Need 2 discuss something,"_ read the bottom text.

Jane had yet to reply, and Maura figured she hadn't seen it. She hated snooping, but somehow her eyes had a mind of their own as they glanced up to see whom the text was from and why the person needed to discuss something with _her_ Jane so badly. Casey. Oh yeah, Jane wasn't exactly hers, was she?

"Jane, I think we need to talk about what happened last night," Maura said, startling Jane out of her pancake reverie.

"Hmm?" Jane turned and quickly took notice to her phone that was still enclosed between Maura's fingers. Wondering what had caused the sudden conversation, she dropped what she was doing and snatched the phone out of the dark blonde's hands, who suddenly looked quite guilty.

"I didn't mean to snoop. I just wanted to send that picture of us to myself and this popped up." Maura looked at Jane nervously, trying to gauge her reaction as she read the words on the screen.

"Oh, right, Casey. I guess I forgot about him." Jane sighed, leaning against the counter.

"You aren't mad that I read your personal messages?" Maura asked carefully. She really hadn't indented to do so, and she hoped Jane could sense that in her eyes.

Jane looked at Maura intensely for a moment before chuckling lightly. "Naw, it's fine, Maur. If you haven't noticed, we aren't exactly great with personal boundaries. I know you didn't mean to." Maura sighed in relief, glad Jane was so understanding to her particular situation. She really didn't want this discussion to get even worse than it had the potential to already be.

"Thank you," Maura said quietly. Jane turned back to her pancakes, now ready to put the well-mixed batter on the griddle. The dark blonde watched her in amusement, taking in the skill with which Jane flipped the flat circles that she was expected to consume. Despite her qualms over the nutritional value, Maura did have to admit that they smelled quite delicious.

"You know, in Medieval times, the first three pancakes from a batch were considered sacred. They would mark them with a cross then sprinkle them with salt. It was believed that the pancakes would somehow ward off evil," Maura google-mouthed thoughtfully.

"You don't say?" Jane replied sarcastically. Maura, of course, took this as an indicator that Jane wanted to hear more of her extensive pancake knowledge.

"Yes, it seems a lot of superstition is placed on the food. For instance, in France, it is common practice to hold the handle of the frying pan with a coin in the other hand and make a wish while the cake is being flipped," Maura said, excitement apparent in her tone.

"Okay, Maur, I'm gonna stop you there. While I'm sure pancakes are just fascinating, I'd much rather eat them. I really don't want this to turn into one of those food history lessons, like when you told me about how hotdogs are made." Jane groaned at the memory.

"Well, I could argue that you are much healthier without them in your diet," Maura countered with a defiant smirk.

"Let's make a deal. You try your best to refrain from telling me anything else about our breakfast, and I'll make a wish and hop over the first three pancakes or whatever."

"Actually, Jane, you seem to be mixing up the different superstitions," the dark blonde began.

"Maura!" Jane complained, warning her that it was time to stop.

"Right," Maura spoke, her excitement dying out into silence that Jane was very appreciative of for the time being.

She wasn't sure how long she spent watching Jane, lost in her own thoughts, but it wasn't until a full plate of pancakes already drenched in syrup was set in front of her that she noticed Jane had finished. She smiled, hesitantly cutting out a decent sized bite and putting it in her mouth.

"Mm, this is really yummy, Jane," Maura spoke through the food in her mouth as she covered a hand in front of her face in embarrassment. Jane just chuckled, patting the dark blonde on the arm before digging into her own in a much more Rizzoli-like fashion.

"Glad you like them, Maur. Eat up!" Jane continued shoveling the syrupy goodness into her mouth.

They ate in silence, Jane too busy eating and Maura too busy trying to shut down all the questions buzzing around in her head to say anything. The text was still on her mind, and even if she found it wrong to have read it in the first place, that didn't mean it would just disappear. Maura never was very good with locking things away in a box, so to speak.

"So I was thinking," Jane began once she had cleaned her plate clear of food. "We both tentatively have today off, so maybe we can take another swing at putting my bed together after I clean up?" Jane asked, smiling a conniving grin at Maura.

Maura grimaced slightly at the prospect of manual labor, but knew she couldn't use her apparel as an excuse to get out of it this time. Plus, as much as she'd enjoyed having such easy access to Jane's bed, it truly was louder in the family room from the traffic. She imagined Jane, the muscles in her arms bulging beneath a thin sheen of sweat as she carried the heavier parts. That was an image she could easily get used to.

"Okay," Maura said with a nod, then added, "But first, we really do need to talk about yesterday."

Jane sighed, turning in her seat slightly to face Maura. "I know. Things just seem much easier when we don't talk about that stuff."

"They may seem easier, but trust me, Jane, I'm sure this conversation needs to happen sooner than later," Maura explained, looking Jane in the eye. "I'll begin. Since I know that Casey texted you and wants to meet tonight, what do you plan to do about that?"

"What do you mean?" Jane asked, looking down and rubbing the back of her neck.

"Well, perhaps what I should be asking first is: what did last night mean to you? Was it just a kiss or do you intend for it to go beyond that?" Maura knew what she wanted the answer to be, but she couldn't push Jane into anything she didn't want. They were friends, above all else. It had to be that way for the sake of her sanity.

"No, Maura, what I said… and our kiss… I meant every word of it. It wasn't just some spur of the moment thing for me. I may have needed a little push over the edge from you, but I have no intentions of jumping back. But… what was it for you?" Jane asked nervously.

Maura smiled, pulling one of Jane's scarred hands into her own. "No, what I said I had been waiting a long time to say to you, Jane. I meant everything, too. Especially the part where I love you."

"Yeah?" Jane asked, leaning closer with each breath.

"Yes," Maura breathed, closing the distance between them. Lips touched lips and this time Jane took control, working her own against Maura's smooth parts. Maura smiled against Jane's lips and parted slightly, allowing the brunette access to the deeper parts of her hot mouth. Tongues danced together, feeling each other's rhythms until they were in synch. The pair only pulled apart when the need for air became too necessary.

"Mm," Maura moaned as she pulled away and looked Jane in the eye. "What are we doing Jane?"

"Well, we were kissing," Jane stated obviously.

"You know what I meant." Maura playfully slapped the brunettes arm, but still looked at her expectantly.

"I know you don't like guessing," Jane cleared her throat, "so I hypothesize that since we are both adults who like each other very much, we are leaning towards taking things to the next logical step. I'm committed to being yours Maura. I waited for too long to be able to kiss you to stop now." As if to demonstrate, Jane grabbed Maura's head between her hands and led her in for another kiss.

After a moment of weakness at the hands of Jane Rizzoli, Maura managed to gather enough strength to pull away again. "What about Casey?" she inquired.

"Casey who?" Jane smirked, trying to kiss Maura again, who was smart enough to lean away this time. She knew it would only get more difficult to resist those lips if she felt them against her skin again.

"Jane, I'm serious. I want to be with you, but if you have a boyfriend…" Maura trailed off.

The brunette snorted, finally giving up on trying to distract Maura with her mouth. "I wouldn't exactly call Casey my 'boyfriend,' Maura. I haven't even seen him since that night at the Dirty Robber a few months ago. He asked for time, and we've talked on the phone a few times, but it sounds like he mainly just wants to meet there to talk tonight. I'll just put an end to things before they go anywhere else. I really want to be with you, and only you, Maura."

Maura smirked mischievously, leaning closer to Jane so that the brunette would feel the tickle of her hot breath on her cheek when she spoke. "And how do you plan to do that?"

"By telling him I was robbed," Jane breathed, startled when Maura pulled away with a quizzical look plastered on her face.

"What was stolen?" Maura glanced around, but she didn't spot anything that was blatantly missing.

Jane sighed, realizing she needed to be more specific with Maura than most other people. "My heart was. By a beautiful blonde with the sexiest smile," Jane husked, causing Maura to catch her breath in her throat and move closer once more.

"She must be one lucky thief," Maura purred, her lips finding Jane's sensitive neck.

"I think it's more the other way around." Jane laughed, enjoying the feel of the succulent lips on her neck.

Somewhere in the mix of their kisses and pleasurable sounds, the two women found themselves standing and pressed together, as if they simply couldn't get enough of each other. For her part, Maura found the sweet sensation of maple syrup on Jane's lips to be quite addictive; enough that she'd be willing to enjoy the breakfast with the brunette on more occasions.

"I believe it would be appropriate to christen the mattress before we set the bed up," Maura suggested, locking her lips against Jane's and shoving her back towards the mattress much like she had the night before.

There was no hesitation on Jane's part, her hands quickly finding their way inside the Red Sox t-shirt Maura was still sporting. Their lips moved more frantically as Maura mounted herself above Jane, allowing the shirt to be lifted over her head by frenzied hands. Jane's mouth found her shoulder and fervently kissed a trail along her collarbone, eliciting a shaky moan.

"Mm, Jane," Maura purred. Before she knew what was happening, Jane had flipped them over so that she could be placed on top. As they had just been in her home for the night, Jane had neglected to don a bra under her white tank top. Now, Maura could happily admire her pert nipples through the fabric, eliciting a very saucy smile from the dark blonde.

Suddenly, a loud banging sounded from Jane's front door. The detective immediately leapt up like she'd been scalded, straightening herself out to the best of her ability before the intruder was revealed. Maura, suddenly panicked at her lack of apparel, scrambled onto the floor to retrieve the scattered t-shirt. Luckily, she was hidden from view by the couch.

Waiting until Maura had placed her shirt back on and gotten off the floor, Jane slowly made her way to the door and opened it to see the last person she wanted to be interrupted by.

"Hi, Ma." Jane feigned a smile as Angela entered her apartment without waiting for permission. Maura had just managed to scuttle back to Jane's restroom to fix herself up a little.

"Oh, Janie, good, you're home. I was getting a little worried, because Dr. Isles never returned home last night and… did you cook?" Angela asked in surprise as she went on invading Jane's kitchen with stubborn curiosity.

"Uh, yeah, I made pancakes," Jane said, gesturing awkwardly to the plates she hadn't gotten around to washing yet. She really needed to get her out so she could get back to attending to Maura. She wanted the dark blonde, in all her naked glory, right back on that mattress—as soon as her mother left.

"You have company?" Angela gasped, clearly having noticed there were two sets of dishes on the counter.

"Yes," Jane said, nodding. She could go along with that if it would get her mother to leave sooner. "So unless you need something, I have another guest to attend to." Jane gestured openly to the door, slowly leading her mother in the general direction.

"Oh, who is he? Do I know him?" she pressed.

Jane froze, unsure exactly what to say. Just as she opened her mouth to respond and shoot down her mother's theory of a gentlemen suitor somewhere in the apartment, someone else did the honor for her.

"Good morning, Angela," Maura chirped, entering the kitchen looking a bit less ruffled than before.

"Oh, it's her," Angela said flatly, the defeat clear in her tone. At this, Maura frowned, wondering what exactly Jane had told her mother in the few short minutes since she'd stepped from the room. She wasn't used to disappointing Angela, and instantly began wracking her mind for some possible mistake she'd made.

Angela seemed to sense this confusion and quickly waved her hand sporadically in the air. "Oh, no dear, I didn't mean that I wasn't happy to see you. I was just hoping that Jane had a gentleman friend over, but I guess not." Angela sighed sadly. "In fact, I came over to ask Jane if she knew where you were. I got concerned when I didn't see you last night."

"Oh, I spent the night here. I, uh, had a few glasses of wine," Maura said carefully. While it wasn't a lie, it wasn't the total truth. Somehow, Maura didn't think Angela would take to well to the full story, though, so she stuck to the minor details of the evening.

The three stood in an awkward silence for a moment, nobody having any idea what to say. Much like Jane, Maura's thoughts were on getting rid of the unexpected company so she could get Jane back on that mattress. For some reason, as if the universe was against them for the day, that just was not going to happen.

"Since I'm here, I was hoping I could take you up on that offer to help me find an outfit for the dinner I was telling you about, Dr. Isles. Janie, you should come to," Angela suggested, beaming at the girls as if she'd just had the perfect idea for how to spend the day.

"Well… uh…" Jane stumbled, trying to find a way to let her mother down that wasn't completely suspicious sounding.

"We'd love to!" Maura interrupted, causing Jane to shoot her a daring glare. She simply looked back, her eyes just pushing for Jane to try anything else. After all, what would they say? Sorry, we can't go shopping today because we need to christen Jane's new mattress? Yeah, that would've gone swell.

"Oh, wonderful! Janie, I'm just going to clean up in here a little. You two go get dressed," Angela ordered.

Grateful for the excuse, Jane grabbed Maura by the wrist and dragged her back to her bedroom. As soon as they were inside, she shut the door and whispered to make sure her mother didn't try to eavesdrop.

"Really, Maur? Shopping?"

Maura looked down guiltily. "Well, I panicked. I didn't know what else to do, and I _did_ promise her," the dark blonde reasoned. "Besides, we'll be quick about it."

Jane wanted to argue, but the smile Maura was beaming up at her held her completely unaccountable for her actions. "Fine," she groaned, giving in and leaning closer to Maura. "But only if you kiss me."

"Deal," Maura purred, closing the distance between their lips.

* * *

**You didn't think I'd let things happen that quickly, did you? Don't worry, you'll get your Rizzles smutty love soon enough.**


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